Sette Fiamma del Mondo: Online
by CrimsonSkyTamer
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi is one of the ten thousand people who are trapped in the game of [Sette Fiamma del Mondo: Online]. His 'real world' self is a no-good student; but trapped in this game where death means that a life is taken away in both worlds, can he protect all that he holds dear? [Note: He is still Vongola Decimo, though this story focuses more on his adventures in Aincrad...]
1. Aincrad

_**[Prologue: Aincrad]**_

_Author's Note: I know I should not be starting this now…but this is what I'm like! ^^ And yes, I was inspired by Sword Art Online as well as the story [Sette Fiamme Mondiale], but like both my current stories, this one too has OCs…and pairings. Though I'm not saying what the pairings are; they'll be revealed as the story progresses. So yeah, please read, enjoy and review!_

_I would like to thank Emi-chan for being my beta!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or Sword Art Online…_

_Note: The italic paragraphs at the beginning are an introduction to [Sette Fiamme del Mondo]…_

* * *

_A castle crafted of gleaming steel and dull stone, levitating in an infinite, perfectly blue sky. That was all this world comprised of._

_Just a single floor was huge; huge to the point where half the city of London could fit into it. A world with a hundred floors, all of them the same size, all stacked on top of one another. In addition, each floor had several cities, towns, forests and even lakes. It was limitless._

_Since only one staircase connected each floor to another, and since these staircases were hidden in dungeons where large packs of monsters of monsters roamed, it was very difficult to find the staircase, let alone make it to the next floor. In addition, a 'boss monster' guarded the staircase; its room was usually very close to the staircase, and it would be necessary to get past the monster to make it through to the staircase. The upside was that the 'boss monster' was unable to leave its room or respawn; therefore after defeating it, one would not have to worry about facing it again. This is also the reason why the last player to attack the 'boss monster' before it dies gets a rare drop._

_However, once a floor was cleared and a city on that floor's teleport gate activated, all the teleport gates on that floor would be connected to those on all the floors that have been cleared, enabling people to transport to that floor instantly._

_Under these harsh conditions, the castle had been slowly conquered, one floor after another, in two years. The current front line is the 70__th__ floor._

_This floating castle was named [Aincrad], a world of battles, flames and skills that had trapped around ten thousand people._

_Otherwise known as…_

_[Sette Fiamme del Mondo: Online]_

* * *

_~69__th__ floor dungeon~_

_**-Oozora's POV-**_

A scythe cut into my torso, leaving a gash about three inches deep. The pain was mind-numbing, blood was gushing out of it and staining my clothes, but I have no time to attend to the wound as of now. I had to focus, or the next hit could mean the end of everything. I take a step back, barely dodging the scythe as I raise my gloved hands and point them at the monster. I can feel myself getting weaker. I need to make this shot count.

"X-Burner." I murmur as I feel the skill activate; my X-gloves glowing a brilliant orange. I release a pillar of flames with their aid, feeling the pressure push me back slightly. I grit my teeth with concentration as I continue the flames as long as I can. When the flames had died down, nothing remained of the monster except a few transparent glass-like shards that soon vanish.

That was death in this world. Nothing remained of anything, save for a few transparent shards that would soon fade away, leaving no proof of your existence. No proof of you.

I checked my HP bar, which was still about 75 percent left. No, that isn't right. Right now, I am 25 percent closer to death, both in this world and the real world. But then again, what was reality? Was it this world, where one mistake could cost you your life, both here and in the other world? Or was it the other world, the one that we had left behind when we were trapped here?

But no matter how I look at things, nothing changes. It didn't matter if everything I am seeing is nothing more than a bunch of 3D virtual reality, that fact that I am fighting for my life didn't change. If viewed from that angle, then fights with monsters would be unfair, as the monsters weren't real. They were just digital lumps that would be replaced when they were killed. But then again, the AI that controlled them was learning with every second of the fight; the monsters' ability to respond to every dodge, feint and attack the player made is enhancing slowly but surely. However, once the monster was killed, the data was reset and not passed on to the next unit that would reappear. So, in a way, this monster was a unique being as well…but did that make it 'real'?

"Juudaime! You're bleeding!" A familiar voice broke through my train of thoughts. "Arashi-kun, I'm fine." I smiled at him. It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie either. I don't really feel the pain anymore, but that doesn't make me 'fine'.

As Arashi began fussing over my still-bleeding wound, I watch the way his silver cat ears and tail swished anxiously, and remember the choice I had made two years ago. The choice to protect the people closest to me, because in this world there is no real or fake of any kind; everything is mind-numbingly real. "Let's get back home before it gets dark." I say to Arashi, who nodded. "I'll just heal you before we go, Juudaime." Before I could protest, he took out a green crystal.

"Heal."

The wound on my torso disappeared; my HP bar also returned to 100 percent. I nodded and smiled in thanks, and both of us began heading for the entrance of the dungeon. My lips curled up in a small sad smile as I remember that fateful day.

Two years ago.

The day everything ended and everything began.

The day everything changed.

* * *

_I apologise if this seems like Sword Art Online a lot, but it will differ soon, I promise. And as for Arashi's cat ears and tail…everything will be revealed soon… So, stay tuned~_

_CrimsonSkyTamer  
February 3__rd__, 2013_

_Edit (4th March): I apologise for the mistake made; players in the game **are** able to feel pain..._


	2. Link, start!

_**[Chapter 1: Link, start!]**_

_Author's Note: Hi again, minna! I'm so glad that you have chosen to continue reading [Sette Fiamme del Mondo: Online]! And just some side notes: Firstly, from here on, everything will start once again from the beginning, when the 'death' game was first released. Secondly, this story will focus mainly on Tsuna's adventures in [Aincrad], but there will be portions of what happens in the real world (due to his Hyper Intuition)…_

_I would like to thank the following people: __**Bleachtoshiro**__, __**Mimi552**__ and __**Lotori**__ for following, __**Aurantiaco**__, __**gouenjiXnatsuki**__ and __**Eimi Arlinee**__ for favouriting, __**Lightning515**__ for following and reviewing, as well as__** Asumi Ayumi **__for reviewing! _

_Also, my – extreme – gratitude to __**Arcobaleno-lover**__ and __**SaintAir **__for adding me to your lists of favourite authors and following me, as well as __**christine27lover**__ for following me too! Thank you both very much, I'm really happy!_

_For my anonymous reviewer, __**Great (Guest)**__: I would like to thank you for your review. Yes, it seems that Tsuna is a bit too cynical; I will correct this is future chapters! And regarding your question about when the guardians will appear, they will be appearing soon, give or take a few chapters. And actually, one of the guardians has already made an appearance! Can you guess who he is? ^^ Hopefully this answers your questions!_

_For __**Asumi Ayumi**__: Yes, your guesses about 'Oozora' and 'Arashi' are right; I'm pretty certain that you'll be able to figure out who the rest are! _

_Lastly, for __**Lightning515**__: Thank you for the compliment! And no, this isn't going to be solely in first-person perspective; sometimes it will be in third-person perspective. However, when it is in first-person perspective, the character will not always be Ozoora; it will alternate between characters just like it does in my other fics. Well, with the exception of this chapter though, since most of the other main characters aren't going to be introduced this early! I hope that this answers your question! ^^_

_I would like to thank my beta-reader, Emi-chan, as well as An Ran, for helping and encouraging me when I was stuck…_

_Disclaimer: I do not own KHR or the references from SAO…but I can dream, right?_

* * *

_~Two years ago: Sawada residence~_

_**-Tsuna's POV-**_

"I'm home!" I shouted as soon as I entered the living room.

As usual, no-one was home. It was market day after all; Mom was out and Dad was rarely – read as: once every few years or so – home. I sighed, before entering my room and dumping my bag on the floor. Putting aside everything else, I put on the NerveGear that I had just recently purchased.

The Nerve Gear was created by the [Estraneo] corporation, and was released with their new VRMMORPG, [Sette Fiamma del Mondo: Online]. It was the most sought-after item in the market right now, seeing as the avatars in the game world not only looked like their real world counterparts, but they also had animal features and reflexes. In fact, it was just released today, and thankfully I got to the store in time after school to purchase the very last set of NerveGear. Removing my tie, I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Link…start." I whispered.

But those two words were enough. Immediately, a kaleidoscope of colours whirled around my entire being, and soon that faded away, being replaced by a few words.

_Welcome to [Sette Fiamma del Mondo: Online]_

_Please enter a username and password._

I deliberated for a few seconds, before typing in 'Oozora' for my username and 'Na2t7su' for my password.

_Please wait while your flame class is being decided._

A bright white ring surrounded me, and I squeezed my eyes shut due to its brightness. After a while, I opened them again, and the next sentence I saw shocked me.

_Congratulations, you are part of the [Cielo] class, one of the rarest flame types. Please pick a weapon and an animal._

A collection of weapons was shown to me; knowing that I would be changing them later, I picked a pair of daggers. Next, I was shown many different types of animals, but none of them caught my eye, until I saw it. On a whim, I picked it, and praying that I hadn't made the wrong choice, pressed 'OK'.

_You will now be transported to the first floor. Good luck, and may you be the one to conquer all 100 floors!_

As I watched, my body started fading away and when I opened my eyes once more, I was standing in front of a stone pillar. Walking to a fountain nearby, I checked my reflection. I was dressed in an orange dress shirt and pants with a white belt; my daggers hanging on it, openly displayed for everyone to see. I also had a pair of lion ears and a tail, both a lighter shade of brown than my hair and eyes.

However, nothing else was changed; I still looked like Dame-Tsuna from the other world. I was expecting this however, and managed not to feel so disappointed at my looks; rather, I would focus on heightening my stats and defeat the 100th floor's boss. With this resolve in mind, I headed to the grassy plains, trying to remember what the manual said about the flame classes and weapon skills in [Aincrad].

* * *

"Haaaa!" A young girl with brown hair and white bunny ears and a tail about 500 meters away from my current position fired an arrow at an oncoming monster, also known as a [Rampage Boar]. The arrow that glowed with an orange sheen shot straight through the boar, decreasing about half of its HP; with a start, I realised that she was coating her arrow with sky flames. I continued watching her; although her attacks were powerful, she missed quite often. But then again, I was certain what I was no better, so who was I to judge?

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a mob – an entire group of [Rampage Boars] – charging towards the general direction of the girl. As soon as they were close enough, they immediately started attacking her. Although she was able to fend off some of them, her HP bar was dropping from their attacks, bit by bit. Without any further thought whatsoever, I rushed over and pulled her away, running from the boars at top speed – which wasn't very fast. However, my terrible sense of balance just had to act up now, and I tripped over my own feet, landing face-first into the grassy plains. The brown-haired girl facepalmed, but notched an arrow when the boars surrounded us.

"Take out your weapon and defend yourself!" She shouted at me, keeping the arrow pointed at the boars. I nodded in reply as I stood up, drawing out my daggers from the belt. Without warning, the boars suddenly launched an attack on us.

_Swish!_

She launched an arrow coated with sky flames and one of the boars had its HP bar reduced by half.

_Thwang!_

One of my daggers sliced off the tusks of a boar that had gotten too close for comfort.

Soon, we had settled into a pretty comfortable routine; she would launch arrows from behind, while I would deal with the boars that had avoided the arrows. Like this, we finally defeated all the boars, even though we each had about half our HP left. Keeping my daggers, I lay down on the grass and watched as the setting sun bleached the grass into a beautiful gold.

"I never did thank you for helping me out back there, did I?" I sat up to see the brown-haired girl smiling at me, bunny ears slightly tinged orange in the setting sunlight. "So yeah, thanks…um, your name is?"

I laughed awkwardly. "Oozora, my username is Oozora."

"Thanks then, Oozora!" She laughed slightly. "I'm Shiro; Cielo class player." She looked a bit embarrassed for a second, but continued. "Um…you wanna go head for the Starting City together?"

My eyes widened slightly. I wanted to accept her offer, yet I had to log out by 6pm to get ready for dinner. Now was already 5:59pm; but maybe…

"I'm afraid I have to log out by 6pm, so…yeah…but maybe we c-could meet up t-tomorrow?" I asked, stuttering slightly.

"Sure, why not?" She smiled. "Well then, meet you at the obelisk tomorrow at 2pm?"

I nodded, and opened my system menu to search for the log out button. As I searched, my eyes widened. "No…way…"

"Hm?" Shiro looked at me, evidently puzzled.

I swallowed, trying not to stutter. "The l-log out b-button…it's not there…"

She stared at me for about a minute before shouting. "WHAT?!"

I mentally facepalmed as she pulled out her system menu to check. As I expected, she couldn't find the log out button as well.

"This is the first day of release, right?" I asked slowly. Shiro was busy checking everything in her system menu, trying to find the log out button.

"Yeah, why?" Biting her lip in worry, she made her screen visible to me. "I've checked everything but the log out button…"

"Is still not there." I finished her sentence. Somehow, something just told me that no matter how hard we tried, neither of us would find the log out button.

"Erm…if we go the Starting City, we can contact a GM, right?" Shiro asked nervously.

"I think so…" I said slowly, looking around the grassy plains. Surely if someone else had discovered the fault, they would have reported it by now, right?

"Well then…I guess I'm going to go contact a GM at the Starting City…um, are you…?" Shiro stood up, looking at me.

"Eh…? Oh, I guess I'm coming along, I have to log out anyway." I said, pushing myself up to a sitting position.

_Ding!_

A soft chime like a bell's echoed around. My eyes widened slightly as a blue light enveloped both Shiro and I.

_What…is this?!_

* * *

As the blue light faded, I saw a huge road paved with stone with a fountain in the center. This was…

"Starting City…" Shiro whispered softly, unknowingly completing my sentence.

I looked at her, shocked, and then dropped my jaw at the people surrounding the both of us. Looking at the bunch of people with a large variety of weapons, hair colours and animal features, they were definitely players like me. Futhermore…the sex ratio was kind of distressing; there were a lot more males then females.

"Hey, Oozora…do you think that everyone who's playing the game right now was teleported here?" Shiro asked nervously, looking around at the huge crowd of people who had started complaining about the forced teleport. At first, it was nothing but soft mumbles, but then it started to get louder and louder.

"What is happening here?"

"Why can't we log out?"

"If this is a bug, it's not funny; the GMs had better hurry and fix it!"

Comments like these could be heard from time to time; and soon they became shouts as the players became more annoyed. All of a sudden, someone shouted above the crowd.

"Shut up and look up, you stupid players!"

Looking up, I saw two words seemingly floating in mid-air.

_[System Announcement]_

The noise in the plaza had died down; perhaps all of the players were thinking that they would get some sort of an explanation. However, I bit my lip. Regardless of what other players might think, I just had this feeling that whatever happened next wouldn't be good.

A hooded figure in a black robe materialised in mid-air; aside from the fact that it was huge and floated, the face of the figure couldn't be seen. Somehow, it made me anxious. The many players around me must have felt the same, for whispers broke out once more.

"Is that really a GM?"

"What's up with the robed figure with no face?"

The gloved right hand of the figure moved slightly as if to silence them. The tension in the air built up; everyone's anxiety could be felt radiating of him or her. Beside me, I felt Shiro tense slightly; not surprising given the current situation. Spreading out his gloves, the hooded figure opened his mouth (or it felt like he did) and an eerily calm, low male voice resonated around the square.

"Players, welcome to my world."

My jaw dropped in shock. Welcome to his world? Huh?

The hooded figure lowered his arms and continued with his speech. "My name is Stephen, Stephen Estraneo. As of now, only my second-in-command and I are able to control this world."

"W-what do y-you mean?!"

Ignoring the shocked gasps from the crowd, the hooded figure continued with his speech. "I am sure that most, if not all of you have discovered that the log out button is missing. This is not a malfunction of the system, however; it is part of the game. Logging out is now impossible; if the NerveGear is removed, a strong electromagnetic current will be released from the gear due to the implanted Lightning flames in the battery. The current is strong enough to fry your brains, which would mean instant death in both this and the other world. Also, once your HP bar drops to zero, the same current will be released in the gear, which will also ultimately end in death."

Murmurs broke out among the people in the plaza; everyone couldn't believe that this game was now reality for them, as well as the fact that the flames were actually _real_.

"You might be wondering why I am doing this. Let me explain; the reason behind this is because I want to experiment with the different flame classes, as well as combining the different flame types with different weapons. And instead of using my own men to test them out, what better then to trap ten thousand guinea pigs in a virtual game to test them out for me? Think of it as an honour to die by being a part of the development. With this, I conclude the end of the tutorial for [Sette Fiamma del Mondo: Online]. Good luck, players."

The last sentence trailed off as the figure vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. This was no longer just a VRMMO game; it was now one that held close to ten thousand people prisoner against their own free will. All it took was for one player to start yelling, and soon, the plaza was ringing with the voices of the trapped players.

"This…is a bad joke, right?!"

"Stop joking around, you stupid GM! Let me out now!"

"You can't do this! I have to get out!"

The people who had become prisoners from game players in a few minutes were screaming, shouting, yelling and cursing as they waved their arms about or clutched their friends.

In the midst of all the panic, however, I was strangely calm. This is reality. Now that I was trapped here, I most probably am unable to return to the other version of reality for a while – perhaps for a couple of months or even years. During this period of time, I wouldn't be able to see or talk to my parents. It was possible that I would never get the chance again, as if I died here…

I died in reality.

In both worlds, the person known as Sawada Tsunayoshi would cease to exist.

The NerveGear, once a game machine, was now the lock to this prison known as [Aincrad], as well as a tool of death that would most likely fry my brain. I breathed in deeply, then out, and opened my mouth.

"Hey, Shiro…do you want to come with me to the next village?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I even thought about it.

"Eh? But…" She bit her lip, white bunny ears drooping slightly.

"Since MMORPGs are games where only those who possess the most money and experience can get stronger, the other players will hunt down all the monsters near the Starting City. Leaving for the next village right now is the best option. Besides, even if we're both Level 1, we should be able to get to the next village since we were able to defeat the boars in the plains." I said in a low voice, looking around at the other players.

"I-I'm afraid I can't…I have a friend who's most likely here in the Starting City and I can't leave her behind…unless…" Shiro looked worried, but then looked at me determinedly. "Just go to the next village by yourself, I won't drag you down."

"But-"

"No buts. Just go, before any of the others realise." She gave me a small smile.

Biting my lip, I turned around and ran, then tentatively turned around after a few minutes. Of course, I couldn't see the familiar brown-haired figure with white bunny ears and a tail. Ignoring the constricted feeling in my chest, I continued running; running to the next village past a forest filled with monsters, to a game where there was only one rule: the survival of the strongest.

* * *

_**-Shiro's POV-**_

"Shirayuki!" A familiar voice snapped me out of my train of thoughts.

"It's Shiro, Tsuki-chan…" I smiled at the dark pink-haired girl with fuchsia-coloured eyes.

"Well, it's Elizabeth to you then!" Elizabeth attempted to glare, but it looked more like a pout.

I chuckled slightly. "Do you want to go to the plains to hunt the [Rampage Boars]? We should be able to level up if we fight long enough…"

"Okay, but can we stay closer to the town? And by the way, who was that guy with you just now, hm?" She nudged me slightly, giggling.

"E-eh?! He's just someone I met in the plains, that's all! His name's Oozora, he seems to be a Sky class player…" I blushed slightly. That's weird…why was I even blushing?

"Okay, okay. Let's go!" Elizabeth smiled and dragged me to the plains, chuckling every time she saw my blush.

_That's weird…I don't recall Oozora having orange eyes…_

* * *

_Longest chapter I've ever written so far…not including the recent Valentines' Day special for [Hellhounds of the Vongola]. Please review, minna! ^^_

_CrimsonSkyTamer  
4__th__ March 2013_


	3. Author's Note

_**Important Notice:**_

_Due to an increasing amount of workload, in addition to my grades dropping, I will be placing [Vongola: The Band, [Sette Fiamma del Mono: Online] and [Kaitou Kyou] on a hiatus._

_(No, I am not giving up on this site. :D )_

_While I focus on [Hellhounds of the Vongola] (which probably has over 20 chapters before it is actually finished) and [Unspoken Promises, I might upload occasional (as in, once-a-couple-of-months occasional) chapters for the other three stories, due to reviews and PMs from readers who hope that I will upload soon. In addition to teasers for my other plots, the summaries will be uploaded on my profile as well._

_While this may not be the most ideal solution, I believe that it is currently the most practical one._

_Wish me good luck! :)_

_CrimsonSkyTamer  
9__th__ June 2013_


	4. Boss Meeting

_**[Chapter 2: Boss Meeting]**_

_Author's Note: As the title states, this is the boss meeting for the first floor…so essentially, I kind of fast-forwarded time. Also, just a side note: as the level of the player corresponds to the highest level of [Aincrad] that they are able to access, please don't be surprised if I say that a high-ranking player is at Level 3 or something. (Oops! Spoiler!) This means that this certain player is able to access the third floor. While it is not true that a player cannot access a floor if he/she is of a lower level, he would most likely not survive if he entered a dungeon on a floor that is of a higher level than his._

_I would like to thank the following people: __**suntan140**__, __**Ayumi1924**__, __**KuroShiro-San**__, __**LacNyssa**__, __**SaintAir**__, __**Dreamless-Sleep777**__, __**Kiyomi di Vongola**__, __**Ceramicpizza**__, __**Hikage no**__**Hana**__, __**ShyCharm**__ and __**Vuurvlieg**__ for following; __**KuroShiro-San**__, __**Xognadora**__, __**HeartXCrossbones**__, __**SaintAir**__, __**Lover Of Yuki Judai And Haou**__, __**Kiyomi di Vongola**__ and __**ShyCharm**__ for favouriting; __**christine27lover**__, __**Vuurvlieg**__ and __**anyandeveryanime**__ for reviewing! To my readers who didn't follow/favourite/review, your support is appreciated as well!_

_Special thanks to __**KuroShiro-San**__ for adding me to your list of favourite authors as well as following me! Also, my thanks to Emi-chan, Hui Hui and Senna for being my beta-readers!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn; it belongs to Amano Akira…_

_PS: I borrowed characters from other anime/manga, because I really can't keep track of so many OCs. I also borrowed the two classified skills from [Freezing] manga. (Another spoiler…silly me.)_

_PPS: Any flames will be used to feed my box weapon._

* * *

_As players as allowed to choose from a great diversity of weapons, there are only two classified Skills in the entire realm: namely, __**Accel**__ and __**Tempest**__, though there is a hybrid named __**Accel-Tempest**__. High-leveled players can use these skills one after another with no interval._

_Other Skills have to be created by the player themselves; this function is available to all players. Said Skill will be documented, and is unique to its creator, unless said creator passes it down to another player. Once the skill is passed on, the creator loses all rights and chosen player may pass on the skill as (s)he wishes._

_-From the [Sette Fiamma del Mondo: Online] guidebook, Section Skills_

* * *

_**-Third Person's POV-**_

Amid the crowds of people gathered in the central square of [Starting City], five players stood out in particular, having the gaze of all the other players fixated on them.

Basil was seated with his latest party at the front of the crowd, easily recognised due to his dirty-blonde hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile that never seemed to leave his face. His Golden Labrador's ears and tail waved as he laughed; an infectious laugh that had soon gotten everyone in close vicinity to smile. He was dressed in a blue shirt, along with a black jacket and pants. Normally, a player who had their stats based on Agility wouldn't wear a jacket, seeing as it hindered movements. However, Basil's Agility surpassed other Agility-based players regardless of whether he was wearing a jacket or not.

He was Rain-attributed player; using a boomerang-like weapon called Metal Edge. He was friendly, sociable, and often joined plenty of parties, though never sticking with one. He was Level 3, and was well-known for helping out players whose HP bars were in the yellow or red zone, especially if they were in the more dangerous hunting grounds. He is said to be one of the reasons why there were only 200+ deaths from the tutorial till now, always appearing in the hunting grounds when a party or guild is in a dire situation, partying up with them till they were in the safe zone and then vanishing again, only to reappear a couple of days later with a different guild.

Kumo was standing alone at the back, quite a few meters away from the nearest party, who were trying not to flinch. His black wolf ears and tail blended in perfectly with the shadows, just like his raven-black hair. However, his piercing blue-grey eyes betrayed his annoyance, presumably from the crowd. The sleeves of his black jacket (that was hung on his shoulders) waved slightly in the breeze; his hands were jammed in the pockets of his black pants, which contrasted greatly with his white shirt. No-one was sure of what his stats were, but most assumed them to be based on Strength and Agility, due to his overwhelming strength and almost-superhuman speed. Nobody really knew him or anything about him, though.

A Cloud-attributed player, he used a pair of tonfas as his weapon. Although he often battled other players, he never killed them; he just beat them up until their HP bar was in the yellow (or red if they seriously pissed him off) and then left without a single word or trace that he'd been there. He was one of the rare players at Level 4, and as such, everyone gave this solo player a wide berth. There used to be a challenge for all players to see who could 'tame' this fearsome cloud and get him to join their party or guild. Unfortunately, everyone who tried was beaten up badly, and as such, no-one ever tried again, and the challenge was soon forgotten.

Reina stood alone at the right side of the square; her dark grey trench coat was fluttering slightly in the breeze. A golden-coloured wolf tail stood out against the dark grey of her trench coat, but the gold wolf ears blended in with her shoulder-length blonde hair. Underneath her trench coat was a white vest, as well as a pair of shorts (that covered only about half her thigh); both of which had the edges done in red. A pair of black stockings that reached to just above her knees concluded her attire. Again, it is unclear what her stats are based on, or whether she was an all-rounder; this was due to the fact that when she was dueling, she preferred to finish her opponents off quickly with multiple critical hits. In addition, many speculated that she was one of the few players who had actually succeeded in creating their own skill, though this hadn't been proven as of yet.

Also a Cloud-attributed player, she used a unique fighting style, which utilized a broadsword in her right hand and a gun in her left. She was commonly found using just the sword, only using the gun when the stakes were high, and she couldn't afford to lose. She was a player that was often found dueling (read: beating up) other players when she wasn't in the dungeons. At Level 4, she was proof that females could be just as good as males (and had indirectly inspired some female players to pick up their weapons and leave Starting City, though she didn't give a damn). While she didn't help players in trouble, neither did she kill them; she remained a neutral party, preferring to hunt solo.

Oozora blended in with the crowd right in front of the stage; brown lion ears and tail waving slightly. He was dressed in a brilliant orange shirt and jet-black pants, along with a long black cloak that hung loosely on his shoulders. His gravity-defying brown hair would have stood out among the crowd, if not for his height. However, what he lacked vertically, he made up for in other areas. When talking to him, one could see his charisma; when battling him, one could feel his power.

A Sky-attributed player, he was famous for creating his own battle skill when he was just Level 2, a feat that no-one else has accomplished. He was now at Level 3, and used a pair of black, metal-clad gloves with the Roman numeral 'X' on the back; a hand-to-hand combat style. While this style was effective against most players and monsters, one had to get into close range of the opponent for effective damage to be dealt, which could prove to be fatal. However, Oozora not only excelled at this rare fighting style, he also managed to create his own skills; there was no doubt that he was truly one of the most gifted players in Aincrad.

Kaien's grey leopard ears and tail twitching as he stood on the stage with his party, [K]; the hunter's black roll-neck sweater could be seen underneath his black jacket. Long black pants and a pair of black boots completed his attire. Standing proud on the stage, one could almost believe that he was the 'chosen one', the one who would free every player from Aincrad with his own hands. Of course, this was totally believable; [K] had found the entrance to the first floor Boss room after all.

He was a Sun-attributed player, which was the reason why [K] was a party and not a guild. Sky-attributed players were the only ones who were able to create a guild, but seeing as they made up about 3-4% of the entire population of players, guilds were very rare. He was the third and final player at Level 4, and used a one-handed sword battling style. An all-rounder, his sword was different from most others; it had a jagged edge on one side of the blade, as opposed to other blades with no jagged edges. He had a cheerful personality, but was serious when it mattered; it could be said that he also had a few weird personality quirks, especially around his party mates.

Basil, Kumo, Reina, Oozora and Kaien; these five players made up the pinnacle of Aincrad.

"First, I would like to introduce myself." Kaien stepped forward confidently; looking at all the players, though his gaze lingered on the features of Basil, Kumo, Reina and Oozora.

"I am Kaien, and this is my party, [K]. As I'm sure you all know, [K] has discovered the location of the Boss room on the first floor, which is why we are gathered here today." Smiling slightly, Kaien looked at his party members before continuing with his speech.

"It has been about three weeks since we were all trapped in this game. How many players have since given up hope, and killed themselves; how many others remain in the safe zones, waiting for help? Is it not our duty, as players with more experience, to forge ahead and show the others that beating this game is possible?"

Drawing his jagged-edge sword, Kaien rested its tip on the stage floor. "I believe that this is the reason why many of us chose to draw our weapons and risk our lives to level up. To show that this game is not unbeatable, I now request for your help to beat the boss of this floor. Will you lend us your support?"

The crowd answered back with a deafening roar; many of them had unsheathed their weapons as well.

Just then, a member of [K] stepped forwards. He had a solemn expression, silver hair and lavender eyes that seemed to pierce straight into one's soul.

"Before all of you start getting hyper, let me get this straight. _Players might die in this boss raid._ So if you are afraid of dying, or are still at Level 0 or 1, _then_ _leave_. You'll just drag the party down. Also, a boss raid can only have a maximum of 7 parties, which is 49 players, if your Mathematics is as lousy as shit."

The crowd quieted down instantly, the player's point making sense to even the dumbest players.

"Zero!" Kaien pouted, but was interrupted by another male player with silver hair and lavender eyes, though his hair was slightly longer then Zero's.

"Zero has a point. I think that only players who are Level 2 and above should be allowed to take part in this raid. And there are a lot of risks involved, seeing as the boss has plenty of sentinels…" He said, looking at the crowd, some of whom were starting to leave.

"Ichiru! Not you too!" Depressed, Kaien went over to the darkest corner of the stage and started sobbing.

"Get on with it already, you stupid players! You were the one who called us here for the boss meeting and yet you have no concrete plan at all; how dumb is this?!" A silver-haired player with green eyes stepped forward, drawing every eye as the crowd automatically taking a few steps back.

Clearing his throat, Kaien walked to the center of the stage once more. "Ahem, sorry for that. Now, about the players who will be allowed to join the boss raid…"

Turning around to look at the other members of [K], Kaien begged them silently to agree with him. Of course, Zero ignored him while Ichiru shook his head. A petite girl with short, dark-brown hair and eyes looked at the taller male - who had dark-brown hair and reddish-brown eyes - next to her, after which both of them shook their heads. Kaien frowned slightly, but turned to face the crowd once more.

"Apparently, I'm outvoted, so only players who are at Level 2 and above are able to join in this boss raid."

"Zero made a valid point just now; if any of you players are hesitant to join in the boss raid, you may leave as well." The dark-brown haired male announced, ignoring Kaien's protests.

* * *

_**-Reina's POV-**_

Finally they left; I was definitely going to leave if those people on stage didn't get rid of the bottom-level players in a few minutes. With a soft sigh, I tuned out Kaien's babbling, mentally moving on to more important things…such as planning the raid based on [K]'s maps, which they had – foolishly – spread around.

Doing a quick headcount, I counted 37 players; including [K] and I, there were a total of 43 players. Technically, as long as there were seven parties, two of which would fight off the sentinels, three of which took turns attacking the boss, one based on defense which would protect the attacking team from the boss's attacks, and one team that would act as the second defense team but would in fact be a back-up team for anyone who needed reinforcements, there would be no hitch, even if the two teams dealing with the sentinels were lacking about 2 players each.

"-arty leaders?"

On instinct, I drew my gun from its holster strategically positioned at my waist; in a heartbeat, it was pressed to the temple of the dirty-blonde player who stood in front of me. Gasps escaped from the crowd; my finger was about to involuntarily pull the trigger when I heard it. The words that would change my life in Aincrad as I knew it…

"_Io sono del Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia!"_

Though exclaimed hurriedly, they were spoken softly; my eyes widened for the fraction of a second before returning to normal. Retracting my gun, I kept it once more as I made eye contact with the Italian Rain in front of me.

"I sincerely apologise to thee, Reina-dono; was thou in deep thoughts?"

"I should be the one apologising instead. It was careless of me to space out, especially during a meeting." I turned to look at Kaien, not answering Basil's questions.

"I guess I'll repeat that again, then. I would like all the players here to train and polish up their skills as much as possible before the battle. In addition, can two players volunteer themselves to be party leaders?"

The crowd was silent, until the silver-haired boy with green eyes spoke once more. "The name's Arashi; I'll join as a party leader. But who are the other four leaders?"

"Is there anyone else willing to become a party leader?" Kaien asked, looking at the crowd hopefully; after a moment of silence, a tall, black-haired male raised his hand. "Ahaha, I guess I'll join too! I'm Ame, but my friends call me the Sword Emperor!"

This last statement drew my attention – and all eyes, though for different reasons. The famed 'Sword Emperor' who was by far the most excellent katana wielder in the game…was just at Level 2?

Kaien smiled. "Then, Arashi, Ame, I look forward to working with you. And as for the other leaders, I plan to ask them later."

Arashi didn't look convinced, but nodded slightly. Smiling, Kaien dismissed everyone, but requested for Basil, Kumo, Oozora and I to stay. Smiling, Basil bid farewell to his group and headed over to the stage; Oozora merely walked over slowly. Kumo looked irritated, but walked over as well, while I walked over with a soft sigh. [K] looked rather displeased, but backed away as the four of us walked over.

"I'll cut to the chase. You know how the five of us are seen as the pinnacle of Aincrad, right? I think that it would greatly boost the morale of the players if we were party leaders. You get to pick the members of your party, but I may swap them depending on their abilities and stats. Is that alright?"

Nodding, Basil and Oozora agreed; Kumo just 'Hn'-ed. I frowned slightly, though.

"If you're swapping members, can I request that no matter who you swap, three members of my group have their stats based on defence, two on strength and the last one on agility?"

Eyebrows were raised, but Kaien agreed with a smile. "A strategist, I see."

With a curt nod, I turned sharply and left.

* * *

_**Question of the Chapter:**_

_**What do you think will the different parties be assigned to, and why?**_

_Yosh, I'm on a roll! :D I really like Basil, he's sweet! And what's the relation between Basil and Reina? Any guesses? Right answers will get a sneak preview of the next chapter!_

_See you next chapter!_

_CrimsonSkyTamer  
__21st August 2013_


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